A month after being killed in a shooting spree that left two other people dead in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, Mariana Franco will be laid to rest on Sept. 26.
That is according to a message shared by family members on Facebook, which states: “The viewing will be held at Santa Rosa Catholic Church from 7-10 p.m. on Thursday, September 25th. Mass and burial will be held the following day starting at 10:30 a.m. at the same church, followed by interment at San Fernando Mission Mortuary (Sepulveda/Rinaldi).”
On Aug. 24, the Franco family lost their 23-year-old daughter, Mariana, in a senseless attack in the City of San Fernando.
It was just before 6 a.m. along the 1400 block of Celis Street in San Fernando when Jose Franco, who was driving the family to church, pulled over to let a SUV pass. The driver was swerving, driving erratically behind the family. But as Franco pulled over, the SUV came alongside the car and the driver opened fire on the family.
Mariana, who was sitting in the backseat behind her father, was shot and killed. She died at the scene. Jose was able to get out of the car and collapsed on the sidewalk after being hit several times. His son jumped out of the car and pleaded with him to get up. Franco’s wife Beatriz was also injured in the shooting.
According to family members and people who know the family, Jose remains in ICU at the hospital after being shot in the leg and neck. Beatriz underwent surgery for her wounds, and has since been released from the hospital.
The death of Mariana, a developmentally delayed young woman, and the brutal attack upon the family shocked friends and fellow parishioners at the Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church in San Fernando, where the family was headed that day as usual to prepare for the 6:30 a.m. Sunday mass. The family, previous residents of San Fernando, currently live in Sylmar.
The Franco family have been members of the Santa Rosa Church for 20 years. Jose and Beatriz served as Eucharist Ministers at the tightly knit parish that has been a center of their lives.
At least two fundraising sites have been set up to help the family offset their medical costs and the burial expenses for Mariana.
So far 40 people have donated from $10 to $1,000 each to raise $3,848 of the $20,000 goal set to help the family on a YouCaring.com account. Just $10 has been raised at another account set up on the dedicatingdollars.com site.
Both make a plea for contributions for the family struck by senseless tragedy.
No one has been charged for the attack on the Franco family. But investigators said they are working to build a case against 34-year-old Alexander Hernandez of Sylmar, a suspect in the series of shootings in San Fernando, Pacoima and Sylmar on Aug. 24.
LAPD detectives say Hernandez is a serial killer suspected in at least seven shootings and four homicides in less than one week.
Hernandez has been charged with the murder of 48-year-old Gildardo Morales in Pacoima. He also faces two counts of attempted murder for a shooting in West Hollywood.
Online Fundraisers for Franco Family
If you would like to help the Franco family cover their medical expenses, please visit www.youcaring.com/familiafranco or http://www.dedicatingdollars.com/donate/pc/mariana-franco-f456.htm.
There’s also a Chase bank account that has been set up for donations to the Franco family. The account number is: 629312823.